Aurora flies subscaled electric VTOL demonstrator

18 April, 2016

SOURCE: FlightGlobal.com

BY: Stephen Trimble

Washington DC

Aurora Flight Sciences has flown a 20%-scaled demonstrator of the unmanned LightningStrike, a uniquely electric-powered X-plane launched less than two months ago with a contract from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

The high-speed vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft flew briefly in the 29 March test flight, the Virginia-based technology company announced on 18 April.

"The successful subscale aircraft flight was an important and exciting step for Aurora and our customer," says Tom Clancy, Aurora's chief technology officer.

Subscale LightningStrike's first flight on 29 March

Aurora Flight Sciences

The Lightning Strike is powered by an array of propulsive fans distributed along the wing and a canard, all powered by a central electric motor.

DARPA selected Aurora’s proposal for the VTOL X-plane programme, which seeks a substantial leap in the fuel efficiency of aircraft with vertical lift capability and fixed-wing cruising speed. If successful, the technology could offer vertical lift with little of the fuel efficiency penalty common to most rotorcraft, such as helicopters, compared to fixed-wing types that must take-off and land on runways.

Aurora Flight Sciences

The full-scale Lightning Strike is expected to fly within two years and demonstrate a top sustained flight speed between 300-400kt, while offering a 60-75% increase in hover efficiency compared to “existing” VTOL aircraft.

The demonstration flight on 29 March marked the first successful use of a synchronous electric-drive system for propulsion, Aurora says.

Aurora’s engineers are now working on validating the flight control system and refining the configuration of the full-scale demonstrator.